House Of Aoikasai
by Heaven's Wordsmith
Summary: Jenna Stevens is the new girl in Aoikasai House, named for a goddess lost in a sea of grief, and all Jenna wants is to make her family proud. After hearing about the legend of Aoika House, however, she sets out on a quest to find a treasure that could solve every problem her family has ever faced and so much more, but will this treasure prove to be much more than she bargained for?
1. House Of Welcome

Jenna creaked the intricately carved wooden door open wide, gazing inside the house with enthusiastic curiosity. The cool air chilled her cheeks as she heaved her single, enormous suitcase into the boarding house. The door seemed to shut on its own behind her with a resonating bang.

She eyed the fancy brown interrior of the house with wide eyes. It wasn't at all like her small, single story house back in New Jersey. To her right was a beautiful staircase with railing that was decorated with carving of the Japenese goddess for which the house was named, Aoikasai's sacred symbol, a burning lotus. To her left was an open living space that appeared to open up into a dining and kitchen space in a sectioned off area and all along the walls were antiques and relics pertaining to the goddess and the Japenese culture.

Jenna let go of her suitcase, setting it on the floor. _Who's idea was it to decorate a house dominated by teens with expensive artifacts?_ She wondered, walking up to a glass lotus that sat atop a dresser that stood against the left wall. Her eyes widened with its radiance and beauty and she became hypnotized by its splendor. That's when she reached out, her terrible habit taking control.

"Hello?" A woman's voice called from the stairs, breaking Jenna's daze. She turned to see a tan woman in a fancy blue dress coming down the stairs. She had dark brown hair and sharp blue eyes. Her gretting was tinged with a thick british accent. "Are you Jenna Stevens?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," Jenna nodded. She suddenly felt silly; this woman dressed very expensively on what seemed like a perfectly ordinary day while all Jenna wore was a green cardigan over a white button-up shirt with jean shorts and brown booties. The difference in social class was more evident than it had ever been before.

"Welcome," she grinned, a bright, white grin. "My name is Miranda and I am the caretaker here at Aoikasai House. I'm so glad to have you here!"

"Uh, thanks?" Jenna said with uncertainty.

"C'mon, let me show you to your room," Miranda nodded towards the stairs. Jenna picked up her suitcase and followed after her. When they reached the landing to the second floor, she noticed an office to her left that looked out on the lobby and to her right, a hallway that she assumed was used for dorms. "Our dorm house has the least amount of residents, so we have a bit more space than most," The caretaker explained, leading her into the hall. "Your room is right in here." She stopped before the first door to the left and opened it.

The room was already occupied, from what Jenna could tell. Half of the room was covered in what seemed to be pandas- panda plushes, comforter, posters, and even a rug! Even her new roommate's clothes seemed to be black and white. _What kind of weirdo lives here_? She wondered, slightly frightened.

"Your roommate is a lovely girl named Yuko Matsushita, she's from Japan, and she is an excellent student!" Miranda told her. "The only thing is that she has a bit of an obsession with pandas, but I'm sure it'll be easy to look past that as soon as you get settled in." Jenna chuckled with uncertainty, pulling her suitcase into the room behind her. "So, I'll leave you to it then," Miranda said. Jenna turned to face her. "Make yourself at home and I'll have our house mom make you something for lunch."


	2. House Of Legends

Jenna sighed and stood back, peering at her finished dorm space with her hands on her hips. She'd laid out her bedding, hung up all her posters and had put her precious collections up on display; she hung her used soda cans by a string on her wall, lined her broken tooth pick collection up on her study desk, and carefully placed her tiny box collection ontop of her dresser.

Over the years, Jenna had developed a strange habit of collecting and even hoarding weird things. She hadn't grown up with much and her family was very poor, so whatever she owned seemed to give her some satisfaction, or at least for a little while. That's what led to her odd collections. She wanted whatever she could get her hands on and that sometimes led to theft...

 _I hope my roommate won't mind,_ she thought, staring at the used soda cans hanging on her wall. "Are you gonna eat something or what?!" Came a sudden shout from down the stairs. Jenna walked to the door and hurried down the stairs eagerly. She went into the dining room and saw a woman standing over the bar that separated the kitchen from the dining room. The woman was very short and had short red hair that reached her shoulders. Her blue eyes stared down at her phone screen and Jenna could make out the Beatles' logo across the woman's chest.

Jenna walked over and took a seat at the table where a sandwhich sat waiting for her. "So you're the house mom?"

"Yep," The woman answered, also having a british accent. "The name's Valeria and you must be Jenna, the new American girl."

"Uh, yeah," Jenna blushed. She looked down at the sandwhich and began to eat it, enjoying it. "Wow, this is probably the best sandwhich I've ever had, well except for Mom's turkey salad sandwhich."

"Thanks, it's why I'm here," Valeria said nonchalantly, not looking up from her phone. "As soon as you're done eating, Miranda needs to see you. She's gotta lay down the rules and such."

"Ok," Jenna said. She finished quickly and threw her plate away and headed up the stairs. Miranda's office was lined with window after window, so Jenna couldn't help but peer inside and see Miranda's collection. Lions seemed to be everywhere. Paintings, figurines, and all sorts of other nick-nacks were strewn all across her desk and her entire office. She was just like Jenna's roommate, only with lions.

Jenna rapped lightly on the door and Miranda stood, walking over and unlocking the door. "Come on in," She smiled and nodded Jenna inside. Miranda took a seat behind her desk and motioned toward the seat in front of her desk. Jenna took a seat obediently. "So, do you know the legend of Aoika House?"

"The legend?" Jenna repeated, taken a little off guard.

"I guess not," Miranda sat up, resting her elbows on the desk. "Well, the story goes like this; Aoikasai, the goddess of friendship, had fallen in love with Haruki, god of waters, but Haruki, in his current life, was caught up in a fued with another god. There was a fight between Haruki and the rival god that ended in Haruki dying, but Aoika was with him. Before he died, he gave her a necklace he personally blessed to show her he loved her, but he did die. In grief and frustration, Aoika tossed the necklace into the sea and legend says that it was passed from person to person until it reached the couple who founded Aoika House. They say that the necklace is somewhere in this house and that it grants many blessings to it's holders and can even make them rich."

"R-really?" Jenna sat up, mind and heart going to her family who needed money most. Jenna's mind thought up a crazy idea; if the legend were true and she were to find the necklace then her family could go from being middle-class trash to being at least decently rich. She shook the thought away. _It's probably just a legend and what are the chances of me finding it?_

"That's what they say, but treasure hunters have been searching for it for years and have never found it," Miranda informed her. "Now, there are a few rules I must lay down for you. 1) Boys are not allowed in the girls' hall and girls are not allowed in the boys' hall. I will not be held responsible for your dumb mistakes. 2) You are not allowed to go into the basement or attic. It's just a safety precaution. I don't want to have to rush someone to the hospital. 3) You are expected at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner promptly just as if they are classes. Breakfast is at 7:00 AM, lunch at 12:00 PM, and dinner at 6:00 PM. 4) when it's lights out, there is to be absolutely no sound. That's about it, simple right?"

"Right."

"Good then," Miranda stood and Jenna mirrored her. "Your classes start tomorrow, be on time. Welcome to Aoika House, I hope you enjoy it here."

"I hope I do too," Jenna said, mind still on the legend of Aoikasai's necklace. _There's no way it's real, but who can blame me for hoping?_


	3. House Of Introductions

Jenna sat around her room researching the legend on her old laptop for the rest of the afternoon. Her mind was swirling with thoughts and ideas. If she could find this necklace, her family would be so much better off and she would no longer have to worry about her mom losing the job or about being evicted from the house as she had in the past. This could finally be a solution to all their struggles, not to mention how much she loved shiny objects!

Jenna sat up straight as the door to her room opened and looked up from her cheap device. An Asian girl had entered in and stared at Jenna with very unusual, curious, blue eyes. The girl's hair was wraped in two tight buns that reminded Jenna of all the pandas that were splayed out across half the room and much like Jenna's blond hair was dyed with brown tips, this girl's black hair was dyed with white tips. "Are you my rooomate?" She asked, voice tinged with a foreign accent.

"Uh, yes." Jenna nodded. The girl grinned brightly.

"Yay! I'm so happy!" She squealed. "It's so boring being all alone! I'm Yuko Matsushita. Are you from America? I can tell by your accent. I'm from Japan."

"Yeah! I'm Jenna Stevens," She said. "That's so cool that you're from Japan! I was expecting mostly English and British people to go here."

"My family is very wealthy since my parents are physicians," Yuko explained. "They were able to afford to send me here and they thought it would be best. Plus I've made so many new friends! But my grades haven't improved much."

"Wow," Jenna blinked. _I hope I can make friends as easily as it seems she can,_ She thought.

"Hey, you should go meet the others! I'll introduce you, c'mon!" Yuko grabbed hold of Jenna's arm and pulled her out of the room enthusiastically. Jenna followed her roommate across the hall and into the other dorm.

Two girls stood in the room, looking at them curiously. One of them had bright green hair that hung losely on her shoulders and grey eyes lined with green eye shadow. In her red uniform, she looked like she was about to attend a Christmas party. The other girl had deep green eyes and long black hair like Yuko's. Her eyes were filled with knowledge and deep curiousity that made her appear older than she really was. She also wore a pair of black glasses.

"Guess who got a new roommate!" Yuko announced excitedly. "This is Jenna Stevens- She's an American!"

"For real?" The green haired girl said. "What state?"

"kansas," Jenna answered.

"Ahh, cool. I'm from New Jersey." The girl told her. "The name's September, but everyone calls me Ember. This is my roommate-" She motioned to the other girl- "her name is Liana."

"Actually, my proper name is Juliana Artemis Van Althuis, but you may call me Liana." the girl corrected Ember quietly, voice thick with a British accent.

"My bad," Ember said apologetically.

"Cool!" Jenna said.

"We're going to be best friends!" Yuko embraced Jenna happily. "Now let's go meet the boys!" Yuko let go of Jenna and took her arm again, pulling her out of the room, into the hall, and down the stairs. "They'll be in the kitchen- you know how boys are!" Yuko told her with an amused grin. She pulled her roommate into the lounge area. Four boys stood and sat around the lounge talking and laughing. "I got a new roommate!" Yuko announced excitedly just as she had with the girls. "This is Jenna Stevens! She's from America." Jenna smiled and waved awkwardly.

The two boys that sat on the couch were very handsome. One had a very tan complexion and dark brown hair fashioned in a mowhawk and dyed blue at the top. His eyes matched the cobalt dye. The other was the exact opposite with peach-pink skin, brown eyes, and golden blond hair that hung losely past his chin.

The other two boys stood around the room, the taller of the two having curly, brown hair and brown eyes and the shorter having silver eyes and strawberry blond hair. "America?" The blond boy spoke, once again with a heavy Irish accent. "Oh joy, me and me brother took a few trips to the states when we were little. Which state are ye from?"

"Kansas," Jenna answered.

"Fun," He nodded. "My name is Axel Toft." He stood and walked over to shake her hand warmly. "Pleased to meet you, my dear." Jenna blushed.

"Thank you."

"If only my older brother would step out of his fantasy world and stop showing off," The ginger scoffed. "I am his twin brother Lance."

"Oh," Jenna looked from Axel to Lance. "But you don't look alike at all."

"It's a shame my little brother had to get all the bad genes, I'm the beautiful half and he's the beastly half."

"As if," His younger brother scoffed once more. "Girls pass you up and come running into my arms."

"Oh, how I wish you'd stop with this silly sibling rivalry," The tanned boy spoke up. "I apologize, Miss Stevens. My name is Mikhail Barad. Pleased to meet you as well."

"Saved the best for last, did ye, lads?" The last boy chuckled and met Jenna's eyes. She blushed again under his soft gaze. "I'm Xavier Adams and I've had to live with these three bozos for the past year. Oh woe is to me."

"You're so funny Xavier!" Yuko giggled sweetly. Jenna smiled in amusement.

"What are you all doing crowding around the kitchen?" Valeria entered with a scowl on her face. "Dinner won't be ready until later, go study or something."

"Let's go back up stairs, Jenna-chan!" Yuko urged excitedly. "We need to get to know each other!"

Yuko changed into a comfortable shirt and skirt and cute panda house shoes as soon as they went back up the stairs. "I love pandas so much!" Yuko told Jenna. "They're just so kawaii! I can't help it! I want to be a vet so I can work around pandas all day and help sick ones feel better. Maybe one day I might even have a pet panda!"

"That's so cool! Pandas are totally kawaii!" Jenna agreed.

"Uh, Jenna-chan?" Yuko tilted her head in question, eyes stuck on Jenna's wall of collections.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have soda cans on your wall?" Yuko pointed to her empty cans.

"It's one of my collections," Jenna answered. "I really like keeping and collecting things. It's an odd habit I know, but it just feels wrong to let perfectly good items go to waist."

"Oh I see," Yuko said. "That's cool, I guess."

"If you want to eat, get your butts down here or you'll miss out!" Valeria's shout came from down the hall and up the stairs.

"Let's go!" Yuko said, pulling her down into the kitchen where everyone else already sat and ate.

The girls grabbed plates and filled them with mashed potatoes and chicken. They took a seat at the table side-by-side. "Don't be so loud," Valeria groaned. "Just eat and shut up." She left the kitchen and plopped down on the sofa in the other room.

"So is tomorrow your first day?" Xavier met Jenna's eyes. She felt her cheeks warm slightly.

"Yep!" She said.

"Just a warning, it's going to be as boring as heck," Ember stated plainly. "And that monotone Mr. Sweet doesn't make it any better."

"Mr. Sweet is nice! He's not monotone!" Yuko objected. "He's a lot better than mean old Mr. Gertrude."

"I'm just tired of Sweet constantly nagging me about how I need to stop and focus on school work more than weightlifting." She said, taking Jenna aback.

"Weightlifting?" The new girl inquired quizzically.

"Yes," Ember nodded. "I'm actually the regional champion back in the states.

"Wow," Jenna gawked.

"I'm determined to be the best, but I won't ever get there if school keeps getting in the way."

"I agree with Mr. Sweet, Emmy," Lance objected. "School is a lot more important at our age."

"Don't you dare call me Emmy!" Ember hissed. "You're one to speak anyways, Lance. Always drawing in class."

"It helps me process the information," Lance justified himself.

"And lifting heavy objects helps me process crap!" Ember reasoned.

"Then why don't you start lifting desks?" Xavier asked, causing a ripple of laughter across the room.

"Maybe I will," Ember said begrudgingly.

"Brother, stop picking on the girl, " Axel scolded Lance. "I know you like her, lad, but there are other ways of showing your affection."

"W-what?" Lance's pale complexion flushed with a bright crimson as did Ember's.

"Fess up, Lance," Mikhail joined in teasing him.

"C'mon laddy, kiss the girl," Xavier egged it on.

"Shut up!" Lance's red cheeks turned a sour, angry garnet.

"Anyways," Ember said with her face burning.

"Liana, you've been awfully quiet and I don't see any books. What's the matter?" Axel said. They turned their gaze to the raven-haired girl.

"I've been thinking over our next exam," she answered.

"Liana-chan, you don't need to do that!" Yuko said. "You're the smartest person in the house- you can ace anything!"

"Yes, but I'm still third in school ranking," she objected. "Would you be able to settle for third?"

"Yeah, I would," Ember answered rudely. "I've never been anywhere near that."

"Well, I wouldn't," Mikhail disagreed. "First is always best." With that, he stood, plates in hand, and returned them to the sink. "Likewise, I'm first to have finished once again."

"Pftt, so?" Lance scoffed. "You're last at everything else."

"It wasn't even a competition, idiot," Ember added.

"Sure that's why you're seething with envy," Mikhail smirked and left the room. Yuko rolled her eyes and looked at Jenna.

"He's like that all the time," she said. "Stupid and immature, but I guess you just have to learn to live with him." Jenna nodded. _I'm going to have to learn to live with everyone, I guess._


	4. House Of First Day

Jenna hurried off to school early the next morning, after eating a quick bowl of cereal, in order to find her first period and meet the teacher. Dressed in the red school uniform every student was required to wear, she hurried inside the big, castle-like school building. The halls were mostly empty except for a few other early birds walking through the halls. She sighed and walked down the hall, checking each classroom for her teacher's name until she found it and entered in. Mr. Sweet, her first period chemistry teacher, was writing on a whiteboard when she entered. He turned as soon as he noticed her and smiled. He had brown eyes and graying hair neatly brushed back. He wore a black suit with a little, red bowtie. "Oh, hullo," he greeted her. "May I help you?"

"Uh yeah," Jenna answered. "I'm new and I think this is my first period." She pulled her schedule from her messenger bag and showed him.

"Ahh yes," he nodded and smiled again. "My name is Mr. Sweet and I'll be your chemistry teacher this year. If you'll grab a seat, the bell will ring shortly." Jenna nodded and took a seat at a desk in the center of the room. Not too much time passed before the bell rang and when it did, the school came alive with kids trailing in, most walking past, but a few entering Mr. Sweet's classroom and taking their seats around her. Yuko walked in among the first and claimed the spot next to Jenna.

"Hai!" She greeted happily.

"Hey."

"This class will be easy," Yuko said. "Mr. Sweet is a really good teacher!"

"You really seem to like him," Jenna said.

"Yeah, well, he's a friend of my father's," she shrugged.

"Hey, newbie," Ember said to Jenna as she walked past and took a seat next to a blond girl she didn't recognize. A few minutes later, all the students had arrived and taken a seat at the sound of the second bell's chime. Mr. Sweet turned to face the class and begin. "Good morning students. I hope your weekends were all restful."

"I journeyed to the ends of middle earth and discovered the lost seal stones of the native Hoku people, Mr. Sweet!" Axel blurted out.

"That's nice, Mr. Toft, but keep your role play habits outside of the classroom, please." Mr. Sweet scowled at the boy.

"Roasted by a teacher, older brother," Lance jeered. "What are you going to do now?"

"That wasn't much of a roast," Mikhail said. "I could do far better."

"Settle down," Mr. Sweet said sternly, trying to quell the talkative troublemakers of the class. "We'll not have any more of this nonsense today!" The class quieted after a few chuckles and turned their attention to the teacher. "Alright then, today we have a new student joining us. Please give your warmest welcomes to Miss Jenna Stevens." Mr. Sweet smiled at her. She blushed as everyone turned to look at her. "Now on to today's lesson..."

* * *

Throughout the day, Jenna had found that all her teachers were rather nice and classes relatively easy. Her second period was definitely her favorite, as that was her art class that she shared with Ember and Lance. Lunch was right after fourth period and she eagerly hurried into the cafeteria lines, hungry from her small breakfast. She found a spot next to Yuko near the back and took a seat. "Class was really fun today!" She said happily. "Lance was really funny."

"Yeah," Jenna smiled.

"Oh, look! It's Ember!" Yuko said.

"Yo," the green haired girl walked up and sat in front of Jenna. Liana followed close behind, book in one hand, food tray in the other. Jenna tilted her head to look at the cover of her book.

"That looks good!" Jenna remarked.

"Thanks, it is," Liana muttered.

"I don't understand books," Ember said with a frown. "You're literally just staring at words the entire time. It's so boring!"

"You don't understand any of it, clearly," Liana stated plainly. "They may just be words, but they are powerful tools that can be used to solve problems that actually matter rather than trying to find new weightlifting techniques or whatever it is you do. Words create worlds. Words create pictures. Words create life."

"I just don't like sitting still," Ember snorted.

"I'm too lazy to read," Yuko shrugged.

"What's it about?" Jenna asked.

"Just some essays written by the men who excavated King Tut's tomb," Liana answered, eyes sparkling. "They made some very fascinating discoveries."

"Cool!" Jenna commented enthusiatically.

"Egypt is boring. I still don't get it," Ember said again.

"It's just not your thing, I guess." Jenna said.

"I could lift this table, that's my thing," she smirked.

"C-could you?" Jenna's eyes widened.

"Yep! I've worked really hard over the years," she said proudly. _Wow_ , Jenna thought. _She's worked extremely hard at what she loves and all I've done is stolen and hoarded away useless trash. I need to get a life._


	5. House Of Discoveries

The sun sank slowly in the English sky as the evening dawned. All the girls in Aoikasai house had begun preparing for bed as usual with Yuko showering and Ember and Liana changing into more comfortable clothing. Jenna followed along, changing out of her uniform and into a lose tee shirt and pair of sweat pants.

Leaving the steamy bathroom, Jenna came to a stop in the hallway. A shiny object laying on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and picked it up, holding it in her hand to study. It was like a round, gold disk with a single, blue sapphire in the center. The stone's edges were jagged and appeared as if parts hand been broken off. Even still, it was stunning.

 _This must belong to one of the others_ , she thought as she admired its beauty. Part of her wanted to keep it, hoping no one would claim it, but she had to be sure first. She wouldn't want to be caught stealing on her first day no matter how much she liked shiny objects. She'd hate to give such a bad first impression.

She walked over to Liana and Ember's room, pendant still in hand. "Hey, are either of you missing a necklace?" Jenna asked and held it up so the two could see. Liana squinted her eyes, observing the object curiously, but Ember took one bored glance at it and turned away.

"That's too fancy for me," She said with a hand on her hip and uninterest in her voice.

"May I have a closer look?" Liana asked. Jenna nodded and came closer to her bed, handing her the pendant. Liana adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration.

"Is it yours?" Jenna asked, not understanding why Lianna stared at it so intently.

"No," She said quickly. "But," She paused hesitantly. "Nevermind." She shook her head and handed it back.

"It's probably Yuko's," Ember said. "She'd probably own something as pompous and gaudy as that."

"Ok, I'll ask her when she gets out of the shower," Jenna decided. With that, she turned and went back to her room. Only one person left and the glittering accessory was hers. A few minutes later, Yuko walked in with a towel on her wet head. She wore cute panda pajamas and matching panda slippers instead of the mundane red uniform. She was decked out in black and white from head to toe.

"Hey, Yuko, are you missing a necklace?" Jenna held up the ornament just as she had for Ember and Liana. Yuko gasped and her eyes widened when she saw it. She hurried to get a better look, holding the golden necklace in her hands in admiration.

"This is beautiful," Her eyes sparkled. "Where did you find it?"

"In the hallway."

"Well, it's not mine, but I really wish it were." Yuko said. "It doesn't belong to Ember or Liana?"

"Nope," Jenna answered, trying to contain her pleasure. It was hers!

"Strange, I wonder where it came from?" Yuko handed it back. Jenna shrugged definsively.

"I don't know," She said simply. "But I might as well keep it, since no one claimed it."

"You're so lucky!" Yuko squealed. "I'm so jealous of you!" Jenna grinned. _I should prbably try and find somehwere to hide this,_ she thought. She looked at her nightsand then at her dresser. She shook her head and leaned over to peer under her bed. She spotted an old shoe box amongst the stacks of old school work and newspaper she hoarded for future reference and pulled it out. Upon opening it, she discovered her collection of shiny objects that included broken spoons, mechanical parts, and other jagged metals.

Jenna put the necklace inside gently and closed the box, shoving it back under the bed. When she looked up, Yuko was staring at her quizzically. "I'm going to bed now," Jenna said awkwardly. She stretched over to switch her lamp off and tuck herself under the covers. Then she eased herself into the mist of sleep.

A haze fell over her as she found herself in the hall way in front of the attic's door. An ominous feeling settled inside her as fog tumbled out of the window behind her and flowed like white rivers across the floor boards.

She looked back, wondering why she was there and a little afraid Miranda would spot her after lights out. When she turned back, she felt a weird sensation within. It was almost as if she was being pulled to the attic door. She told herself not to enter since it was against the rules. But she didn't see Miranda when she looked back and even reasoned with herself that Miranda wouldn't find out. The pull grew stronger, so finally she gave in.

Before her was a flight of stairs that led up to the attic. She tip toed up, certain to close the door behind her. She emerged in the room. It was small and cluttered with boxes and paintings and old furniture and broken objects splayed all across the room. Cobwebs clung to the cieling and corners of the room, sending a shiver down Jenna's spine.

Then she noticed the figure standing in the center of it all. It was a person, probably a woman, cloaked entirely in black. Her face was shadowed underneath a sheer veil and her prescence foreboding. She couldn't tell if this mysterious figure was a friend or an enemy.

"Heed my warning," The woman spoke. Her voice was like a sorrowful chord played in a moment of despair. The gravelly tones unnerved Jenna to the core. But she didn't say anything else, she just stood there, staring at her. Jenna gulped. That's when she noticed the jewel that hung from the woman's neck. It was just like Jenna's except that the sapphire was whole. And this one began to glow as did the woman's eyes.

Jenna took a startled step back. Then the woman pointed at her. "Follow my rule and live, but if you don't, you will die." Then she screamed in a high-pitched sob that broke through Jenna's dreams.

Her heart raced as she bolted up right in her bed. She gasped and heaved with unsettled breath. Her heart continued to pound and she wondered if the entire house could hear her frightened pulsing. _It was just a dream,_ She told herself. _It was just a dream._ She managed to slow her breathing and relax slightly. Then she bent over the edge of the bed and pulled out the shoe box. She opened it to check on the pendant. And it was glowing.


	6. House Of Secrets

The day had gone on as it usually had, undisturbed by Jenna's frightening dream. The images and scenes passed through her mind over and over again throughout first period and even as she sat waiting for second period to begin. The woman. The necklace. The attic. Was it just a spooky coincidence?

Ember walked in and broke through Jenna's unsettled thoughts as she sat down beside her. "You ok?" She asked.

"Y-yeah," Jenna nodded uncertainly.

"Are you sure?" Ember blinked. "You can talk to me you know, I won't tell anyone."

"Alright," Jenna sighed. "It's just that I had a scary dream last night."

"A nightmare?" Ember offered.

"Yeah," Jennna nodded. "I went to the attic and saw this lady. She wore all black and there was a veil covering her face. She was wearing a necklace just like mine." Ember's eyes dropped down to the pendant hanging around Jenna's neck.

"And?" She prompted. "Surely a spooky lady didn't scare you that bad."

"No it's just what she said that scared me," Jenna said. "She said something about following her rules or I'd die. It really freaked me out."

"It was just a dream," Ember shrugged. "I've had way worse than that."

"I don't know," Jenna said, remembering the glowing pendant she discovered after waking up.

"I'm sure it was just a coincidence, no need to make a big deal about it." Ember insisted as the bell rang.

The dream continued to occupy Jenna's thoughts for the rest of the day even after Ember's skeptical reassurance. She was still thinking about it as she lay sleeplessly in bed that night. She couldn't help but feel that she needed to be certain it was just a coincidence. It was almost as if she felt the fantastical pull she'd experience in her dream state.

Finally, with her mind stirred and nerves uneased, she stood out of bed and quietly left the room. She was careful and sure not to disturb Yuko or anyone else as they slept. She tip-toed across the soft floor boards and checked to make sure Miranda didn't see her. Miranda couln't see anything from around the corner.

She hurried to the door, silent as a mouse and twisted the handle, pulling it open. She hurried up the stairs and into the attic room.

It looked exactly as it had in her dream. The same piles of unneeded junk layed haphhazardly across the floor and the same spooky atmosphere. But Jenna was relieved to find that there were no mysterious ghost women waiting for her.

She sighed with relief. _No creepy woman,_ She thought. _I guess it was just a dream, but what did I expect to find anyways?_ Looking at all the unused items and broken objects, Jenna's curiosity began to wonder. Adrenaline rushed through her as she realized she was successfully breaking Miranda's rules. Rebellion felt good.

She wandered around the room, taking it all in. She was tempted to take something as a souvenir and add it to her collection. But she wasn't finding anything shiny or worthwhile.

She ran her fingers across a smooth oil painting ripped in the center so that it obscured the flower pot pictured. Then she moved to a broken vase. Its edges were sharp and its paint was peeling off. She went on.

Finally she found a pedastal-like column of stone. It was rough, scratching the soft skin of her palm as she rubbed her hand against it. In the right corner of its flat, square top was a small hole just big enough to fit her pendant. She grabbed it and took it off. Then she placed it in the indention curiosly.

To her surprise, it began to glow luminously. Then in blue letters, words scrawled out on the podium. It read in its glowng scrip "you have seven days to return Aoikasai's amulet to Aoikasia's house. If you fail, the curse will remain."

Heart pounding with the loud thumps of a stampeeding herd of wildebeasts, she quickly grabbed her necklace and turned back. Too frightened to stay, she hurried out the attic room and went back to bed.


	7. House Of Proof

Second period was the ideal time to tell Ember about what Jenna had discovered. She could prove that her dream was more than just a coincidence and maybe Ember could help her figure out what the mysterious message meant.

She buzzed with excitement as Ember walked in. "I need to talk to you." Jenna said as soon as Ember sat down. Ember smirked.

"Did you have another nightmare?" She teased.

"This is serious," Jenna said sternly. "I went up to the attic."

"What?" Ember's pupils grew two times their original size as her shock settled in. "You did not."

"I did," Jenna insisted. "I had to know the truth."

"Well, did you discover the truth then?"

"Yeah," Jenna went on to describe the events of the previous night. Ember's face grew in astonishment as Jenna told her about the glowing necklace and the magic words appearing. As Jenna finished, the green haired girl's face relaxed into a skeptical expression.

"That's funny Jenna," She chuckled. "You have a wild imgination."

"What? But I'm telling you the truth!" Jenna said.

"Right," Ember rolled her eyes. "And hedgehogs can fly."

"I'm serious, Ember!" Jenna kept on. "I can prove it!"

"Can you?" Ember raised a cynical brow. "I'd like to see this 'proof'."

"Ok, but you have to come with me to the attic tonight," Jenna said.

"What? No, that's disgusting!" Ember objected. "There's rats!"

"You want proof. That's the only way you're going to get it." Jenna pressed.

"Ugh, fine!" Ember grunted. "But if anything comes at me, I'm getting out of there as quick as I can."

Outside the attic door, the two stood. They were both as quiet and swift as possible. They were cautious and absolutely silent as they entered the attic. Jenna looked to Ember, shining her phone's light on the attic room. Ember was disgusted, covering her mouth with her hand and walking slowly, eyes on the ground.

"See? No rats," Jenna whispered. Ember shook her head.

"Just show me the freaking podium already!" She said through gritted teeth. "I can't believe I agreed to this."

"It's over here," Jenna shone the light on the stone stand. They walked up to it and Jenna took the pendant off. She placed it and it began to react just like it did when Jenna had activated it the first time. Jenna smirked.

"Told you," She said. Ember's face whitened.

"W-well how was I supposed to know?" She said in short, defensive breaths. "Your story was just so crazy, I can't believe it's true."

"Right, well now you know it's true," Jenna affirmed. Ember stepped up to the pedestal and read the words that were written.

"What does it mean?" She asked, looking up at Jenna.

"I don't know" She admitted. "I was hoping you could help me figure it out."

"Fine, I'll help you," Ember decided. "If we can leave this place now."

"Ok," Jenna nodded.

"This is so disgusting," the green haired girl covered her mouth again and shuddered. The two began to walk towards the exit, but came to an abrupt stop as soon as they heard a soft rattle at the door.

"Hide!" Ember whispered loudly. She grabbed Jenna's arm and pulled her down behind the painting of the flower pot. "It's Miranda!"


	8. House Of Lies

The door creaked open eerily as the head of the house entered in, her heels clicking and clanking against the floor boards. She scanned the room, scowling. Her squinted eyes beheld her suispicion and she stopped. Jenna held her bretah.

A rat scurried across, its claws scraping across the wood and letting out a tiny squeal. Ember squirmed slightly. Miranda groaned, turned, and left.

Jenna let put a giant sigh of relief. Ember squealed and jumped up quickly, freaking out. "There's a rat, get up Jenna!" She shouted. Jenna stood and looked around. She couldn't see the rodent, but she could still hear its squeals.

"Let's just go!" Ember whined, holding Jenna's arm tightly. She pulled her out of the attic, desperate to escape the tiny creature. "This is too much excitement for one night," She said, closing the door behind them. Jenna nodded.

"We can figure things out tomorrow," Jenna said. "Let's get some sleep it's late."

Jenna groaned and sat up in bed. The night before was wild and a little unsettling, so she hadn't been able to get to sleep right away. She lay staring up at the cieling for hours until finally drifting off. Jenna glanced at the clock beside her. Her eyes flicked open wide and she jumped out of bed, hurrying to get ready. After getting dressed, she hurried down the steps.

As she entered the kitchen, everyone stared at her. "Good morning!" Yuko smiled brightly. "What took you so long, Jenna-chan?"

"I uh," She stammered. Ember jogged in a second later.

"You too, snot hair?" Lance teased. Ember rolled her eyes.

"At least my hair doesn't have the potential of setting off the fire alarm," She shot back.

"Good morning, Ember-chan!" Yuko said sweetly.

"So what were you up to last night, September?" Lianna laid down her book and looked up at her roommate with a questioning gaze. "Considering you're both late, I might just conclude you were up to something together. So what was it?"

"Uh-" Ember hesitated.

"We were, uh," Jenna stammered again. "We wanted to start roleplaying so we began coming up with characters last night."

"What?" Lance's voice was filled with disgust. Everyone else, excluding Axel, groaned. Ember shot her a glare.

"Really?" Axel perked up. "What are your characters' names?"

"I'm, uh, Neptunia," Jenna answered. "Princess of, uh cats."

"And you?" Axel turned to Ember.

"Emerald Diamond. Neptunia's bodyguard." Ember grunted.

"Wonderful! We must get together some time," he said.

"We certainly should," Ember said through clenched teeth. "Now we need to hurry to school so we aren't late."

Ember pulled Jenna by the arm and left angrily.


	9. House Of Temptation

Jenna followed Ember up into her room after school that day. Ember closed the door behind Jenna then plopped down on her messy bed. "Why, again, did I agree to go along with the roleplay thing?" She asked, still a little angry.

"Would you rather have told them the truth?" Jenna pointed out.

"I guess not," Ember groaned. "Anyways, we need to figure this out now."

"Right," Jenna sat on the bed and pulled out her cheap phone. She opened the internet and searched 'Aoikasai.'

"What are you doing?" Ember cocked a brow in question.

"Maybe if we find out a little bit more about Aoikasai then we'll be able to find out what the message means."

"I doubt that," Ember said, honestly. "Why would the internet know anything about a spooky stand with glowing carvings?"

"You never know," Jenna said optimistically. She continued to tap on the screen and sift through site after site, surprisingly only finding profiles on different social media platforms. A few seconds later, a voice rang up the stairs. "Ember! Can you come here, please?" Ember groaned.

"I need to go see who's calling me. I'll be right back," she stood and left to go investigate. Jenna put down her phone and rubbed her eyes. She looked around Ember's room. Her eyes locked on a single object resting on Ember's nightstand. It was the most beautiful thing Jenna had ever seen. It was perfect, and it would fit so well amongst her collections. What she saw was a shiny, gold broach. Temptation began to settle in and threatened to control her arms like the strings of a puppet. _I can't take it,_ She told herself. _She'll hate me._ Even so, the temptation gripped her.

A second later, Lianna entered the room. "What are you doing in here?" She asked.

"I was waiting for Ember," Jenna answered, cheeks flushed.

"Oh," Lianna sat on her bed and pulled a book off her bed side desk and started reading.

"Stupid Mikhail!" Ember stormed through the door. "When will he take a hint! I'm not freaking interested!"

"What did he do?" Jenna asked, raising a curious brow.

"He shoved a bunch of flowers in my face and went on and on about how beautiful I was!" She complained. "He's had a crush on me since the beginning of the year and it's really ticking me off!" Jenna giggled. _That's a silly thing to get mad over!_ she thought. "Anyways," Ember sighed. "We should meet up tonight to roleplay some more." She winked.

"Yes," Jenna agreed.

Jenna held in a yelp as she stubbed her toe on the door on her way into the attic. If there truly was a curse, perhaps it would cause her to be forever clumsy? She hurried to meet Ember.

"Did you bring the necklace?" Ember asked as soon as she saw Jenna.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Good, we'll probably need that," she said. "I still can't believe you told everyone we're roleplaying. Of all the things to lie about! Lance is never going to let me live that down."

"It was the first thing that popped into my mind!" Jenna objected. "I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, Axel will probably forget about everything by tomorrow, it's everyone else that won't." She sighed. "Anyways, we need to look for some clues. Find something, anything that could help us figure this out."

"Yeah," Jenna nodded, a little disheartened by her friends angered musings. She turned to a pile of junk to her side and began to dig and sort through it- searching for anything to tie into the strange warning. But as she sorted through old paintings and broken pieces of furniture, she found nothing- no where for her to place the necklace and no indication of any mysterious writing. There was nothing. Ember sighed loudly, having the same difficulties. "Maybe we should call it a night," She suggested. "I'm not finding anything."

"Neither am I," Jenna agreed.

"We should try again tomorrow or something," Ember said. "I'll try to do a little research tomorrow, like you suggested. Maybe we can come up with something."

"Yeah," Jenna nodded. _Should I be getting worried?_ She wondered. _If there really is a curse, how am I supposed to break it if I can't even understand the instructions?_


	10. House Of Missing

Jenna groaned and slapped her alarm clock off and sat up. "Good morning, Jenna." Yuko smiled, already wide awake.

"Good morning," Jenna yawned. She stood and knelt down to pull her shiny collection out. She slid the lid off and blinked. The necklace wasn't there. She sifted through the spoons and metals compact in the box. It wasn't there. Her heart began to race. _Why isn't it here? I know I put it in here last night!_ She thought. She shook her head and slid it back under her bed. _I'll have to retarce my steps. Where could it have gone?_

"Hey, Jenna, you up yet?" Ember burst through the door, also fully awake. Her eyes landed on Jenna. "What's wrong?"

"I lost it," Jenna answered. "The necklace is gone."

"What?" Ember's eyes widened in surprise. "Didn't you have it last night?"

"The pretty necklace?" Yuko asked. "The one you found a few nights ago?"

"Yeah and I thought I did have it," Jenna stood. "I remember even putting it in the box. I don't know what could've happened to it."

"Oh, Jenna-chan!" Yuko gave her a sympathetic squeeze. "I'll help you find it!"

"N-no thanks, it's-"

"I insist," Yuko said. "I'll find it faster than you can say 'panda'!" Before Jenna could object a second time, Yuko dashed out of the room. Ember sighed.

"I have a feeling she's only going to make things worse," She said. "Maybe it fell off in the attic somewhere."

"I don't know," Jenna scratched her head and furrowed her brows. "I remember putting it back in the box last night, but I just looked and it wasn't there."

"In the box?"

"Yeah," Jenna nodded. "I've been keeping it in my shiny collection shoe-box!"

"Your shiny collection?" Ember shook her head. "You're a strange person, Jenna."

"So, I hear you're missing your amulet, mi'lady Jenna," Axel peeked through the door of her room. "Your knight in shining armor is here to help."

"What're you doing here, Axel? You know you're not supposed to be up here!" Ember scolded. "And how do you know about the necklace?"

"Yuko told me," he answered. "Where did you last see it?" Ember looked at Jenna.

"Yuko told you?" She blinked.

"Jenna Stevens report to my office immediately!" Miranda came marching in and glared at Axel. "What do you think you're doing Mr. Toft?"

"Many apologies, ma'am," he said. "I was just trying to help a friend."

"Get back down stairs now," Miranda hissed and turned her attention back to Jenna. "Both of you to my office now!"


	11. House Of Revelation

Miranda scowled at Jenna and Ember as she took a seat behind her desk. She was clearly unhappy, but what had they done to make her so mad? "So you two are looking for some necklace then?" Miranda said. She lifted up a pendant from her desk- it was Jenna's. "Is this what you're looking for?"

"Yes," Jenna gasped. _How did she get it?_ She wondered. _If it fell off while I was in the attic then she might know we went up there. But I remember putting it in the box! I remember it so clearly!_

"I'll give it back to you," Miranda said. "If you get Yuko to shut up. I can hear her screeching to the boys below my office. Stop causing so much rucus as I may not let you off so easily next time."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Jenna nodded.

"Go get dressed," Miranda dissmissed the two with a nod to the door. Jenna grabbed her necklace and she and Ember fled quickly.

"That was way too close," Ember said as they walked back to Jenna's room. "But now that you've got it back, there was something I meant to tell you."

"What is it?" Jenna wrapped the chain around her neck and fascened the clasp to secure it.

"Last night I did some research on Aoikasai's house," Ember began. "And it turns out that that was a term her believes would use for her shrine!"

"Really?" Jenna's eyes widened. "Then that means we have to go to her shrine!"

"Exactly," Ember agreed. "In fact, there's an abandoned shrine a little while down the road. t's close enough that we could go right before school!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Then we've got to go!" Jenna decided. "I'll hurry and get dressed and then we can go!"

Dressed in their gold and red uniforms and with their packs on their backs, Ember and Jenna hurried down the road into a wooded area. Ember held her phone out, following a map that would lead them to "Aoikasai's House." "I read that Aoikasai had only a few, but decent amount of followers," Ember said. "But they all built a few shrines in Japan, increasing her popularity and when some of then immagrated here, they settled in the Aoika House and built the shrine next to it."

"That would explain why the necklace was in the house and why it has the name it does," Jenna said. "But not how I found the necklace in the first place. I think it's a little weird."

"I don't usually jump to the supernatural being any sort of explanation, heck I don't even believe in that stuff, but I can't help but think that this is something out of the ordinary." Ember said.

"I believe it," Jenna affirmed. "It would make a lot of sense. But why me? Why did I end up finding her amulet?"

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Ember concluded. Then they came to a stop. Ahead they spotted a buidling, definitely some place of worship as Ember had said. It was worn and made of fading, breaking wood. Outside was a porch with a tony idol sitting against the front wall. It was of a hooded woman with long, flowing hair holding a lotus in her hands. Parts of it were chipped away just like the buidling.

"This must be it," Ember said.

"Should we go inside?" Jenna looked to her friend. The shrine of Aoikasai appeared as if it would fall down at any second. Were they really going to risk it collapsing on top of them? But was Jenna really willing to risk the curse being set upon her?

"Yeah," Ember nodded. She clicked her phone off and placed it inside her backpack. Jenna let the green-haired girl go first, a little apprehensive about entering. But the inside was far trashier than the outside. Broken benches and trash and dead plants lay splayed across the room and dust and dirt covered the entire floor as if there were no floorboards and it was bare earth.

Against the back wall was an alter and a grand statue almost untouched by the forces of nature. It was the same hooded woman, but her arms were held outward as if to receive something and in the center of her chest was an indentation- a perfect fit for Jenna's pendant.

Quickly, the brunette took her necklace off and reached up, wrapping it around the neck of the statue and placing it in the hole of her chest. To Jenna's astonishment, it disappeared a second later. "What the-" Ember began to utter before a woman emerged in a flash of bright blue light. Jenna stumbled back and fell onto the dusty floor, stunned. It was the woman from her dream. Unlike her dream, however, the woman's clothing was filled with many different shades of blue and around her blazed a halo of pure blue flame. She didn't move.

"One who is seeking to break my curse," She began to say. "Find it's missing pieces that my followers have left behind. Return them to me and you will be restored. If you fail, you will be hated by all and left to live the life of a lonely hermit. You have seven days. Search carefully, there are three shards to find. Bring them with the necklace and the curse will be gone." A second later, the woman disappeared and the necklace reappeared. Jenna heaved a heavy breath and stood up shakily. She grabbed the necklace and put it back around her own neck.

"What was that?" Ember said.

"I don't know, but-" She stopped as she turned around to see Lance sitting in the corner. His silver eyes bugged out of his head and jaw extended to its full length in his horror. In his lap sat his sketch pad and to his side, his colored pencils.

"Lance?" Jenna gasped. "What are you doing here?" He ignored her.

"What the bloody heck was that?"


	12. House Of Role Play

"Uh, L-Lance, how much of that did you see?" Ember turned her gaze to the startled artist. Jenna could tell just by his face- paler than usually- that he'd seen it all.

"All of it, Ember!" He shouted. "What was that?"

Jenna and Ember exchanged a knowing glance and sighed. They had to tell him.

"Look, Lance. If we tell you, you have to promise to keep it a secret, alright?" Ember said.

"Fine, but just tell me already," He demanded, growing impatient.

"Jenna found this necklace," Ember began. "And she discovered a message in the attic that told her she would be cursed if she didn't bring it here."

"Wait, you went into the attic?" Lance looked at Jenna.

"Yes," She nodded. "I had to."

"Fine, fine, go on," he nodded at Ember.

"That's about it. You saw exactly what we saw and know just about as much as we do." She finished.

"But you have to keep this a secret," Jenna added again.

"Right," Lance nodded. "No worries, so long as you allow me to tag along with you from now on."

"What?" Ember frowned. "And why would we do that?"

"Me and me brother are awfully close," he said. "We tell each other everything and you know his blabber-mouth can't keep a secret to save his life. It'd be a shame if he found out."

"Fine," Ember grumbled through gritted teeth. "Meet us in the attic tonight, but if you're late, we're moving on without you."

"Very well," The artist smirked. "I'll be there."

"Stupid Lance," Ember shook her head as she and Jenna headed home from school. "Why does he have to be so irritatingly cute?"

"You're really confusing me, Ember," Jenna said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you like him or not?"

"I really like him," Ember said. "But he's so infuriating!" Jenna chuckled.

"I'll never understand that," She commented. They walked up to the door and opened it, entering in.

"Jenn, Ember there you are!" Avel came from the den in the other room.

"Axel? What do you want?" Ember grunted.

"I was wondering if we could do a little roleplaying tonight?" He looked into Jenna's eyes.

"Uh, sure," Jenna shrugged.

"Uh, are you sure about that, Jenna?" Ember said through gritted teeth. "Weren't we planning something on our own?"

"Oh, yes, but we can do it later," Jenna told her, meeting her eyes.

"Wonderful!" Axel took Jenna's hand in his and kissed it softly. "I'll see you soon, mi'lady Neptunia. Allow me to get dressed and we can meet out in the back."

"O-ok," Jenna blushed. After Axel turned and left, Ember grunted loudly.

"This is all your fault, Jenna." She shook her head. "Let's get this over with."

Jenna and Ember went with a gothic, dark appearance for their cosplay costumes. They both wore headbands with cat ears and belts with cat tails to go along with the 'queen of cats' character. Jenna tied her hair in a bun and placed a bow near one of the cat ears. She wore a black dress with droopy sleeves and a fancy black choker. On her hands were lace gloves with cat-like claws, and Ember leant her a pair of black wedges to complete the look.

Ember wore a black beanie and over a white, collared shirt, she wore a leather jacket with spiked rhinestones and matching fingerless gloves. She also wore heeled leather boots and on her back was a fake sword.

Trying to avoid the attention of the rest of the house, they stealthily snuck out the front door and headed towards the back of the house where Axel said he'd be waiting. He stood at attention alomst like one of the royal guards.

He wore an old, steampunk suit with epaulettes of gold accented with cog wheels hanging around his giant, salmon collar. He wore a cogwheel monocle and a brown top hat to match his long, brown and gold overcoat. He also wore brown and gold riding boots with cogwheel spurs and chains. To Jenna, he actually appeared a little attractive.

"Greetings, ladies," he smiled gently, breaking into character. "Queen Constance would be delighted to meet you, but alas, she could not make it, so I've come in her place to give you and all of your kingdom a warm welcome." He bowed to Jenna. "Mi'lday Neptunia, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Mordred Sokratus, Queen Constance's royal advisor and tactician." He took her hand in his and, just like before, planted a kiss through the glove.

"Uh, the pleasure is mine," Jenna blinked. _What am I supposed to do? What if I say the wrong thing?_

"Stay back from the princess, Sir Mordred," Ember stepped forward, pulling out her sword. "I cannot have even you so close to her."

"My apologies," he stepped back. "I understand Lady Neptunia is of great importance."

"More importance than you know," She said. Jenna looked from Ember to Axel and back again as their in-depth exchange continue. _Wow, Ember is really good at this!_ She thought. _But this is too odd even for me._


End file.
